Growing up on an Ohio dairy farm, Mark Jones says he avoided milking cows whenever possible, always loved machinery, and especially enjoyed seeing scale model tractors at farm shows. “Those little tractors really spurred my interest to build a scale model of my dad’s Cockshutt 570 and two implements from scratch,” Jones says.
Driving and working on his dad’s Cockshutt Model 30 series tractors and eventually the 570 gave him a good understanding of tractor operation. He gained additional experience building road grading and concrete equipment for his employer, then restored his dad’s Model 570. That was further impetus to build a mini model 570.
Jones says he’s blessed with the ability to see completed equipment in his mind’s eye before he starts building, so his process is clear and methodical, even without plans. He started the 570 after acquiring the transmission and drive train from a Cub Cadet lawn tractor. Jones liked the setup because it had dual disk brakes so two pedals could be used on the right side of the operator platform, just like a full-size Model 570. He built a stretched frame from 3/4-in. by 6-in. plate steel, incorporating the Cadet’s rear axles and wheels. He had the front axle and wheels from another project.
A three-cylinder Perkins diesel engine supplies power for the mini. The tractor has three forward gears and one in reverse. Jones made a straight pipe exhaust inside a larger sleeve that looks like an authentic muffler but produces a throaty growl from the engine. The driver sits on a two-person seat Jones built for safely giving rides to his grandkids. He had a local fabrication company make an authentic Cockshutt hood, front grille, and the panel to mount gauges.
The operator station has a full-size steering wheel mounted to a solid shaft operating through a worm gear that turns the front wheels. The left slide clutch is used to shift and two pedals on the right side activate brakes for each wheel. Painted with authentic Cockshutt colors, Jones says his mini is a spitting image of his dad’s 570, exactly as he planned.
Jones made his project even more authentic by crafting a scale model 3-pt. 4-bottom plow for his mini. He made the top frame out of 2 1/4-in. channel iron and the moldboards are from a Cub Cadet plow. A 44-in. wide by 6-ft. long hay rack with scratch-built running gear rounds out his mini project. The rack carries miniature straw bales that Jones hand-tied with baling wire.
Jones completed all the replicas in 9 mos. while still working at his full-time job. His childhood memories have come full circle as he displays the authentic mini equipment at several shows throughout the summer. “I’ve never used the tractor for work, although the engine runs well and drives like a full-size model,” Jones says. “I’m just happy to have it on display and give rides to the grandkids.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark Jones, Oberlin, Ohio.